Thursday, December 22, 2011

These strange but apparently true injuries are captured for posterity on a set of cards called “Left Field Cards,“and this, the first set, aptly titled “Bizarre Injuries.” They are printed from Mancini’s own linocuts onto letterpress paper.

“It’s fun to have a quirky point of view,” says Mancini from her home in Brooklyn. The artist, who moved from Lyon, France, in 2006, says she fell in love with baseball when she moved to the U.S. Her art reflects it—in addition to the cards she’s done several paintings with baseball themes as well.

She decided to feature the players’ foibles after googling fun facts about baseball. She discovered, as did we when we did our own Internet search (after finding out about Mancini on Design Sponge), that collecting information about peculiar baseball player injuries is a popular pastime. Or making a list about other weird baseball player facts. Apparently it’s a niche.

“I found all these guys who had gotten hurt in very strange ways,” Mancini says, “and I compiled my 10 favorite injuries.”

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Don't hold out, Eamus. The girl is quirky and has a nice, primitive style. She'll be a great addition to the Baseball Reliquary's roster. Much more enjoyable than having to endure the neo-"success cycle" twaddle about the Yankees' $200 million austerity program.

I'm not sure what Eddie Murray had was technically a mustache, as opposed to sideburns that happened to connect between his upper lip and nose. Regardless of what you call it, it's well worth a place in the set.

Sammy Sosa was plenty embarrassed last week when he was forced to admit that the back injury that put him on the disabled list came from violent sneezing. ... Sneezes, which can travel through a person's body at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, have taken many players out over the years. How quickly we forget that Juan Gonzalez's back acted up last spring after a bad sneeze. And at least three other players were scored "DL-Sneezing," pitchers Marc Valdes in 1995, Russ Springer in 1997 and Goose Gossage in 1985.

"I'm embarrassed as hell," Gossage said at the time. "But they say it's one of the most common ways (to hurt your back). You drop a bar of soap and hurt it. Or you put your shoes or socks on and hurt it. It happens."

I hadn't heard of Brett Barbarie's chili injury, but I believe it. The other night, my wife was slicing some habaneros for dinner and about 30 minutes later complained that her hand was "on fire." After looking on the net for solutions, she settled on lemon juice which calmed down the heat.

The alternative craft fair I attended tells me that this is the going rate for woodblock hipster art. Although the lack of birds or giant squids seems unusual. The price seems totally reasonable to me. I just ordered a pack.

The Mets had a Japanese pitcher in the late'90's - early 00's who ripped a finger tendon opening son porte de le garagiste. Did she use one of Jayson Stark's columns on this subject?
Great work by the artist. Extra points for her being French and a Met fan. Tres cool.